The Bendectin buy-off

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Debendox is still on the fact sheet recommends that market. The two cases although Debendox is safe, brought against Merrell it should not be used in in the USA have been lost, early pregnancy and Merrell has so far not only time it is intended for! been charged with keeping * Information from 'Moth. information from the FDA. er Jones', November 1980 in early pregnancy.

It was never properly tested for side effects. And dha fndinga shout its une findings results have been consistently suppressed by its manufacturers, a subsidiary of Richardson-Merrell, who were responsible for marketing Thalidomide in the US before proper tests. Recent work also shows that it is ineffective against morning sickness.

When the effects of Thalidomide became well-established, Bendectin was tion (FDA), which controls drug marketing. • 17 years later the original data were re-examined and the parallels with Thalidomide became clear.

Many doctors in the US and Canada who had prescribed Bendectin/Debendox wrote to Merrell reporting birth defects. Merrell managed to get most of these rephrased as 'enquiries' '. Adverse reaction reports' have to be passed to the FDA: 'enquiries' even those from hospitals involving up to 1000 cases. do not.

Doctors were reassured that there had been few adverse reaction reports.

There is only one truly independent study of Bendectin, and it indicates the dangers very clearly.

A British study was made in 1977 by a Leeds paediatrician, Dr Smithells. But he received $26,000 from Merrell towards his research on Bendectin, plus a 'consulting fee' of $1500 into his (illegal) Canadian bank account.

The FDA's own staff raised doubts about Bendectin's safety and effectiveness, some were promoted or moved away from its review, and a few were cultivated by Merrell.

Mother Jones magazine writes. "We are not sugg ory to receive such preferential treatment: The agency is fall of people who believe they were either transferred or demoted for recommending nonapproval of other drugs Under one per. cent of pregnant women, according to the American Medical Association, actually need prescribed drugs for nausea in pregnancy. But in 1977, with three million new pregnancies in the US, there were 3.4 million prescriptions for Bendectin alone.

Usually much simpler remedies are effective and much safer. As with many sensitive stomach complaints, it is wise to avoid fatty, greasy and highly spiced foods, to eat small amounts every few hours leven at night). and lo use herbal teas if they are soothing.

in addition. pregnant women shoald drink plenty of fuids. and get a balanced vitamin-B complex.

Meanwhir Rendertin/ In this country, the British Medical Association's issue. - the

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